The below snippets of the Gazette’s interview with Lawton were edited for clarity and grammar.
Why did you decide to run for DSU president?
I thought it was an interesting role. I think not a lot of people know about what the DSU does. I kind of found out my first year and started looking into it. I thought there should be someone who’s open to what the students want and wants to represent their needs, and I thought there’s a lot that could be done on campus. A lot of things people talk about never get thought about or implemented, like having the Grawood be a fun spot for students. I think everyone thinks about that, but no one’s ever taken action to make it happen.
Why do you think you’re the best person for the job?
I’m pretty heavily involved in the Dal community through sports, academics, research and in the Halifax community in general. I’m the captain of the Dalhousie football team, and I’m part of the Dalhousie Epilepsy Society. I do a lot of volunteer work at various places, including the Hope Cottage Soup Kitchen, and I have a pretty good track record of success in almost all my endeavors. I get things done, and I think that’s a good quality for someone to have, especially someone who’s integrated in the community and understands what students want.
Have you been involved with the DSU before?
No, I haven’t. I’m involved in societies and sports teams and a lot of other areas at Dal but I haven’t been directly involved in DSU, which I think is a good thing, having an outsider coming in. They help inspire change and not just keep things on the trajectory they’re on.
Could you talk about some of the key points of your campaign?
I want to make the Grawood a spot where students can hang out again. A lot of maritime universities and universities in general have great campus bars, whereas our bar is losing money for the school because no one goes. That could be turned around. It’s ridiculous how expensive stuff is. It’s essentially a luxury bar, but students are never going to go to a luxury bar on campus. If you cut prices in half, you’d have way more customers, you’d make way more money, and people would have a spot to go on campus that everyone can go hang out at. I think it’s not a very difficult change, and you benefit everyone because right now we’re just wasting a beautiful space.
Another thing is, we wanna try and improve the parking situation. Obviously, that’s a hefty goal, but I think there’s a lot that can be implemented short-term, medium-term and long-term, even just logistics-wise. Like trying to acquire some off-campus parking for students who commute so that the Dalplex isn’t full of people who are staying there all day and people can use it if they want to work out or if they have to go to class. There are short-term things that we can do logistics-wise to ease the burden on students and then get long-term plans in motion that can increase space.
How do you propose implementing changes, like the price cuts, at the Grawood?
I mean, talking to the people who run it and then making more advertising around it, like throwing events and just cutting prices. If you say you cut prices, you go to who sets the prices and you cut the prices; that’s how it works. You can’t expect to sell to students at a luxury price. Most bars in Halifax are cheaper than the Grawood. There’s no reason that should be the case. You’re gonna make way more money if you sell more at a lower price than selling nothing at a high price. No one can afford it.
One of the key points of your campaign was that you want to limit construction during study hours so it doesn’t bother students. How are you planning on implementing that?
I think it’s more about being proactive about when things happen, trying to make sure it’s not at heavy exam times and making students aware of other spots they can go where construction isn’t happening. Of course, construction has to happen, you’re never gonna cut all construction. You know, make people more aware and trying to be more proactive about where it’s happening, when it’s happening, what’s the best way that we can limit it, how can we make most of it happen over reading week, or in the summer when there’s less students on campus. Just trying to make it as easy as we can for people. You’re never going to limit everything, but I think you could significantly cut it down and ease the burden.
Are you planning on continuing the current administration’s initiative of pushing Dalhousie’s Board of Governors to divest from Israel?
The war is a horrible thing, and if there’s anything, even a small part, the DSU can do to stop it, then it should be their responsibility to help. So, whatever that means, and whatever the best way that can be implemented.
Is there anything else that you wanted to add or would want the student body to know?
I think it’s important that everyone votes. I think a large majority of Dal has never voted, doesn’t know when the vote is, and has no idea what the DSU does. I think any organization is stronger when all the members are involved. So, yeah, get out and vote. If you never have before, it’s very easy; just click the link in your email.
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